Minimum Connection Time Calgary (Transborder)
 

Hi,

I'm just working on booking a xmas flight (Dec 14, 2012) and one of the legs is

YQR > YYC > EWR which has 1 hour layover (AC Metal)

Am wondering if this is enough time to transfer across from domestic arrivals to transborder and clear US customs?

Was hoping to go on AC metal for the upgrades oppurtunities, what are the chances of getting an upgrade? flightstats currently shows R/1 J/9 for YYC > EWR

My other options are :

YQR > YYZ > EWR which has a 2h15 layover (but ~700 less miles) (AC Metal) (R/3 J/9)
YQR > DEN > EWR which has a 3h43 layover (but ~250 less miles) (UA Metal)

Your advice is appreciated. :)

YYC allow 1-1/2 hours for sure if you have checked bags YYC is worse then YYZ on baggage

Weather also a factor, like DEN, YYC has "issues" in the winter, but DEN can be horrible

My personal rule is I don't transit Denver in Dec, Jan, Feb & Mar

I've found YYC US customs to be very fast and efficient, especially if you have NEXUS. Also, your YYC-EWR flight is likely to be delayed at that time of year, giving you even more connection time. 1 hour is a "legal" connection Canada-US in YYC too.

If you have NEXUS and only carry-on luggage, I'd say go for it. If you have one of the above, it's iffier but possible. If you have neither, book a longer connection.

Also consider time of day; if you can miss the evening rush that's even better.

You'd be really cutting it close and hoping the EWR leg is delayed.

Keep in mind, if your YYC leg is delayed even 15 mins, you're likely to miss your EWR leg.

Personally I would say no way unless you have both Nexus and no checked bags. YYC customs can be absolutely horrible, and is relatively unpredictable and illogical as to when it is horrible. Meaning I dont know what time of day your flights are, but you might think--oh 10:30 on a weekday, customs wont be busy then. And then you see the 90 min waits. I would give yourself 2 hours for sure. Unless you have Nexus and no checked luggage.

As I have said many times YYC is fine airport to fly out of, but probably worst in Canada to transit through, friends don't let friends transit through YYC,

International/Domestic/Transborder thing is something they just don't do well.

Take the YYC connection. In the event of a mis-connect you can insist on AC rerouting you to EWR via YYZ on AC metal. AC protecting you on its own metal should give you a chance to upgrade and more miles than YYC-EWR.

My transit time is 11.25 to 12.25

Based on the above the YYZ routing would be the safest / easiest but YEG USER makes a good point, If AC allow me to book the flight then if i miss my connection it's their responsibility to rebook me, but that would mean arriving at 10.30pm instead of 7pm at EWR ....

Gotta have a think about this ...

Here is what ExpertFlyer says regarding MCT at YYC for AC to AC:

Results from ExpertFlyer.comAC to AC flight, Domestic to USA, a legal connection is 50 minutes, except if the flight you are connecting to is Flight # 3500 - 5499 in which legal connection is 1 hour. As well, AC will not let you connect from Flight 165 to Flight 570 even if it otherwise meets the minimum connection times.

[QUOTE=D582;19466581]
AC to AC flight, Domestic to USA, a legal connection is 50 minutes, except if the flight you are connecting to is Flight # 3500 - 5499 in which legal connection is 1 hour.]/QUOTE]

I've spent hours in line transborder in Calgary before, but now have Nexus. Is there also a nexus priory security line? (have a 1-hr 6 min connection on Sunday, I know I shouldn't fly through Calgary, but needed the 500 miles to hit an eUp threshold).

Flight details

Air Canada – Flight 8435 Operated by Air Canada Express - Jazz

Take-off Fri 10:25a YQR
Landing Fri 11:25a YYC


Air Canada – Flight 584

Take-off Fri 12:25p YYC
Landing Fri 6:55p EWR

So definately in the legal connection times ...

In YYZ they normally call out the flights departing soon so you can jump to the head of the queue, hopefully they do the same at YYC ... apart from the extra miles the YYZ ticket is an extra $150

Go through YYC. :) You'll be fine either way.

Besides, doing that avoids posting $4.52 to the worst airport in Canada.

I'm actually going to DTW via ORD, so connecting through two airports I try to avoid, but am away for 4 out of the next 5 weeks, so decided to spend as much time as possible at home on Sunday (as well as the extra miles, its the latest possible dep from YEG). If I miss a connection, there's no other routing to DTW later in the day, but thats what the credit card cover is for, I'll overnight somewhere and get to DTW on Monday instead...